Purpose: This paper aims to provide a methodological road for the next generation of e-learning environments. Design/methodology/approach: This paper considers a survey of recent publications (1995-2002), which aim to provide practical and theoretical indications and advice, which are coupled with practical experimentations. Findings: The paper provides road-mapping elements, indicating the impact on services and systems to be expected by this design approach. Research limitations/implications: The survey is based on a selection of sources and it is not exhaustive. The methodology experiments that are used for argumentation are based on the authors' platform. Practical implications: The paper presents a useful source of knowledge for researchers and advanced students. Originality/value: This paper identifies a road for advanced e-learning systems, and can help researchers and those in industry who desire to introduce and understand the design methodological context of advanced e-learning systems.